E-vaping device cartridge with internal infrared sensor

Abstract

A cartridge for an e-vaping device includes an infrared sensor configured to measure infrared radiation emitted by at least a portion of a heating element coupled to a dispensing interface in the cartridge. The field of view of the infrared sensor may encompass an entirety of the heating element. The infrared sensor may be an infrared light emitting diode. The e-vaping device may include control circuitry configured to determine the temperature of the heating element based on sensor data generated by the infrared sensor and control the electrical power supplied to the cartridge based on the temperature of the heating element. The control circuitry may control the electrical power to maintain the temperature of the heating element below a threshold temperature. The control circuitry may determine the heating element temperature based on accessing at least a portion of the sensor data stored at a storage device in the cartridge.

We claim: 
     
       1. A cartridge, comprising:
 a vaporizer assembly configured to vaporize a pre-vapor formulation to generate a vapor, the vaporizer assembly including,
 a dispensing interface configured to draw the pre-vapor formulation from a reservoir, 
 a heating element coupled to the dispensing interface, the heating element configured to heat the drawn pre-vapor formulation, 
 a gasket, the gasket defining a channel; and 
 
 an infrared sensor configured to measure a temperature of at least a portion of the heating element within a field of view based on measuring infrared radiation emitted by the portion of the heating element, the infrared sensor coupled to a portion of the cartridge such that the infrared sensor is within the cartridge, and the field of view is directed to an interior of the cartridge, at least a portion of the field of view extending through the channel and the field of view partially obstructed by the gasket, and the field of view encompasses at least a portion of the vaporizer assembly. 
 
     
     
       2. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the gasket is located between the infrared sensor and the vaporizer assembly. 
     
     
       3. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the gasket extends between separate points of an outer housing enclosing the cartridge. 
 
     
     
       4. The cartridge of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a hollow tube having an inner surface and an outer surface, the vaporizer assembly extending between separate points on the inner surface of the hollow tube, the infrared sensor being directly coupled to the inner surface of the hollow tube. 
 
     
     
       5. The cartridge of  claim 4 , wherein the field of view includes a portion of the inner surface of the hollow tube. 
     
     
       6. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the infrared sensor is configured to measure a temperature of at least a portion of the dispensing interface within the field of view based on measuring infrared radiation emitted by the portion of the dispensing interface. 
     
     
       7. An e-vaping device, comprising:
 the cartridge of  claim 1 ; and 
 a power supply configured to removably couple to the cartridge at an interface and to supply electrical power to the cartridge. 
 
     
     
       8. The e-vaping device of  claim 7 , wherein the infrared sensor is coupled to the interface. 
     
     
       9. The e-vaping device of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 control circuitry configured to adjustably control the electrical power supplied to the cartridge based on the measured temperature of the heating element. 
 
     
     
       10. The e-vaping device of  claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjustably control the electrical power supplied to the cartridge to maintain the measured temperature of the heating element below a threshold temperature. 
     
     
       11. The e-vaping device of  claim 9 , further comprising
 a storage device communicatively coupled to the infrared sensor, the storage device being configured to store sensor data generated by the infrared sensor; and 
 the control circuitry is configured to adjustably control the electrical power supplied to the cartridge based on accessing at least a portion of the sensor data stored at the storage device. 
 
     
     
       12. A method, comprising:
 configuring a cartridge to provide sensor data associated with a temperature of at least a portion of a vaporizer assembly included in the cartridge, wherein the configuring includes; 
 installing the vaporizer assembly in the cartridge, the vaporizer assembly being configured to vaporize a pre-vapor formulation to generate a vapor, the vaporizer assembly including,
 a dispensing interface, the dispensing interface being configured to draw the pre-vapor formulation from a reservoir, 
 a heating element, the heating element being coupled to the dispensing interface, the heating element being configured to heat the drawn pre-vapor formulation, and 
 a gasket, the gasket defining a channel; and 
 
 coupling an infrared sensor to a portion of the cartridge such that the infrared sensor is within the cartridge and such that at least a portion of the vaporizer assembly is within a field of view of the infrared sensor, at least a portion of the field of view extending through the channel and the field of view partially obstructed by the gasket the infrared sensor being configured to measure infrared radiation emitted within the field of view, the infrared sensor further configured to generate the sensor data based on the measured infrared radiation. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 coupling a power supply to the cartridge at an interface. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the coupling the infrared sensor to the portion of the cartridge comprises coupling the infrared sensor to the interface. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the gasket extends between separate points of an outer housing enclosing the cartridge.